A Ghanaian court has convicted Nigerian national Promise Ebuorbo and four accomplices for harboring illegal migrants and immigration violations, signaling intensified enforcement against cybercrime networks exploiting Ghana’s real estate and digital sectors.
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) arrested the group at Weija’s Sampa Valley following intelligence linking them to ten young men conducting online fraud from their rented property.
Ebuorbo received a 12-month prison sentence plus a 50-penalty-unit fine, while his associates were fined 100 penalty units each. The conviction underscores GIS’s crackdown on transnational cybercrime operations using Ghanaian residential hubs as bases.
GIS Assistant Commissioner M. Amoako-Atta issued a stark warning to property owners: “Harboring irregular migrants violates national laws and risks enabling criminal enterprises. We urge landlords to verify tenant immigration status diligently.” The case highlights vulnerabilities in rapidly developing areas like Weija, where high rental demand outpaces oversight.
Digital economy analyst Kwesi Badu noted the growing threat: “Cyber fraud increasingly thrives in informal housing arrangements with lax tenant screening. This demands collaboration between tech firms, real estate, and security agencies.” The GIS emphasized that such operations protect Ghana’s investment reputation as global scrutiny of fintech and proptech sectors intensifies.
This enforcement occurs amid Ghana’s push to position itself as West Africa’s digital hub while combating cross-border crime networks exploiting its infrastructure. The GIS pledged enhanced inter-agency cooperation to safeguard economic growth without compromising security.
